Towel cabinet and clamp.



G. A. STElNER.

TOWEL CABINET AND CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 4, I914.

1,169,297. I Patented Jan. 25, 191

IIVI/E/VTOR rrnn s'ra GEORGE ADOLPH STEINER, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

TOWEL CABINET AND cum.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 25, 1916.

Application filed May 4, 1914. Serial No. 836,129.

To all whom. it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE AnoLPH S'rmxnu, a citizen of the United States, residing at SaltLake (-ity, in the county of Salt Lake and State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Towel (abinets and Clamps; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to towel cabinets, and more particularly to a device of that character for use in hotels, or other places, where a number of towels are delivered at regular intervals, and has for its principal object to provide a device of this character adapted for receiving a bundle of towels and retaining same in assembled relation while permitting individual use thereof. In accomplishing this object I have provided a cabinet for containing the towels and a clamp for holding the towels in assembled relation,

and which may be easily and quickly installed in the cabinet, or removed therefrom, when a bundle of soiled towels is to be replaced by a fresh supply.

The preferred forms of the apparatus are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure I is a perspective view of a towel cabinet constructed according to my invention, showing a bundle of towels in the cabinet, and illustratingthe position of the towels when a number have been used. Fig. II is a .vertical section of the cabinet, showing the initial position of the bundle of towels, and the clamping mechanism. Fig. III is a similar view showing the position of the towels and clamp mechanism, after a number of towels have been used. Fig. IV is a detail perspective of the towel clamp. Fig. V is an enlarged front elevation of one end of the clamp. Fig. VI is a detail perspective view of one end of a modified form of clamp.

Referring more in detail to the parts: 1 designates the body of the cabinet, which niy be of any suitable construction, but preferably comprises an upper compartment section 2 and legs 3; the compartment chambundle of towels.

ing them at the sides and back. In each side of the compartment, near the open front, is a vertical groove 4 which extends downwardly a short distance from the top of the compartment and opens through the upper edges of the side portions thereof to receive the clamp trunnions 7. Fixed to the sides of the compartment, and extending thereacross, immediately back of the grooves' l, is an inclined shelf 5 for carrying the free ends of the towels, as will presently be described; the rear end of the shelf being spaced from the back of the compartment, so that the towels may hang freely between the shelf and back...

The clamp which I prefer to use comprises a bar 6, having the trunnions 7 that are adapted for sliding and pivotal movement in the grooves 4, and a clamping bar 8 for cooperation with the bars 6 to hold a Each of the bars 6 and 8 is preferably bulged at the center in order to compensate for any flexibility and insure close contact of the bars with the towels throughout the length of the clamp. The bar 8 is provided near each end with a threaded sleeve 9, and mounted in each end of the bar 6 is a screw 10 which is adapted for cooperation with the interior threads in the sleeve 9 to adjust the bars toward or from each other when the towels are to be placed in or removed from the clamp; each of the screws being provided, at the outer face of the clamp 6, with a thumb nut 12, having a projection 13 provided with an aperture 14.- for receiving thehasp of a padlock 15. Mounted on the bar 6, adjacent the thumb nuts, are staples or the like 16, for receiving the, hasp of the padlock 15, so that the nut may be locked in place to prevent loosening of the clamp and removal of the towels.

In the modified form of clamp shown in Fig. VI, the screws are provided with square heads 17, and a plate 18 is pivotally mounted on a staple 19 on the bar and provided with a square aperture 20 and slot 21 for application to the square head of the screw and to a staple 22 which is fixed in the bar 6 in position for cooperation with the locking plate. It is apparent that with this construction, when the plate is dropped over the square head of the screw and locked to the bar b a padlock (not shown) the screw 1s hel agalnst displacement and the clam bars he d--against the bundle of towe swhich is located therebetween.

In using'the device, presuming the cabinet to be placed in the toilet-room of a hotel,

- bundle in one of the cabinets by dropping the clamp trunnions into the grooves 1n the compartment at the top of the cabinet. It

is readily apparent that the exchange of soiled. towels for clean ones may be quickly made by merely drawing the clamp out of the cabinet and dropping a fresh bundle in the place of the one which has been removed. When the fresh bundle of towels is placed in the cabinet, the free ends of the towels are thrown back over the shelf and are supported thereon until removed for use. When the clamp is installed, the bar 6 is at the bottom, so that when the towels rest on the shelf, the friction between the towels and shelf holds the clamp in upright position. As the-towels are used and are dropped downwardly in the front of the cabinet, their weight gradually overcomes the friction between the clean towels and the shelf, so that the clamp edge of the toweLalways faces the user, and the maximum area of the towel is made available for use. It is apparent that as the bundle is exhausted, the tilting movement of the clamp is increased, until when the weight of the used towels is sufiicient, the clamp hangs perpendicularly within the cabinet, with the bar "8 below the trunnion bar 6.

'A cabinet of this construction not only facilitates the installation and useof towels, but further insures against loss of the towels, as the latter are assembled and locked in the clamps at the laundry and can only be removed by a person having a he to the lock by which the clamp bars are he d together.

Havin thus described my invention, what I c aim as. new therein, and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is v 4 1. The combination with a support, of a clamp comprisin bars of unequal length, with the bar 0 greater length pivotally mounted on the support, and the bar of lesser length carried by the longer bar, both of sa1d 'bars bein tapered from intermediate points towar their ends, forthe purpose set forth.

2. The combination with a suitable support, of a clamp comprising bars of unequal length, the ends of thebar of greater length being pivotally mounted on the support, sleeves on one of said bars, screws on the other bar threaded into said sleeves to connect the bars, and means for locking said screwsto maintain the locking connections between the screws and sleeves.

3. The combination with a cabinet having an opencompartment, and having guide members at opposite sides of the compartment, a clamp comprising a. supporting bar having trunnion members slidably and. pivotally mounted in said guide, and a clamping bar adjustably mounted on the supporting bar.

4. The combination with a cabinet having an open compartment provided with facing grooves, of a clamp comprising a supporting bar having trunnion members .adapted for sliding travel in said grooves and for pivotal support in the bases of the grooves, and a clamping bar of lesser length than the supporting bar andhaving adjustable connection therewith, whereby the said clamping bar inay move freely within the cabinet, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

Witnesses:

O. A. KNAPP, JAMns EVANS. 

